Under The Apple Tree
by beautifullytaintedox
Summary: Damon and Elena met under an apple tree when they were eleven years old. Little did they know that a chance meeting would change their lives forever. Together, they face everything life has to throw at them, but neither expected to find love in the process. RatedT for later chapters.


**Hey fellow TVD lovers! Here's a story that took a lot out of me, but was totally worthwhile! I've been wanting to start a project and see it through to the end, and I think I can with this one. It's Damon/Elena centric, but it has some Caroline/Klaus (I prefer to call him Nik, so Nik I will be using) Sorry if some of you are fans of Caroline/Tyler, but Tyler will still be in this story, so don't be too worried. (':**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or its characters(sigh). All rights belong to L.J Smith for writing the amazing series, and Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson; the amazing people who bought the masterpiece to life. However, I do own this plot and any OC's that might pop up, but I haven't decided on that yet. I wrote this story through the inspiration of a song and a beautiful picture, both of which will have links on my profile, so that's there for you to have a look at. **

Chapter One**Chance Ecounter**

**21st July 1999**

_"Damon, honey. Stay close so that I can see you!"_

_Eleven year old Damon Salvatore had never been one for rules, so to those that knew him, his conception of 'close,' didn't come as much of a suprise. His mother's rule had been discarded like a dirty t-shirt; a pair of soiled pants in need of a good scrub, and Damon happily threw it to the wash with the rest of the warnings laid out for him. It was easy to disobey now; His father had passed before his younger brother Stefan was born, and there was no fear of a beating after being found out. Damon relished in the adventure and suspense, knowing full well that his mother would never lay a hand on him. It made it all the more easier for him to make his own rules; The envy of the neighborhood kids who wished for more freedom.  
But although Damon sometimes ignored his mother's demands, he never took the beautiful woman that gave him life for granted; He knew that the rules were there for his safety, he just had a different way of perceiving words and phrases. _

_Little did he know, his ignorance changed his life forever._

* * *

It was the hottest day of the year on record the day Damon Salvatore first met Elena Gilbert.

Climbing over the picketed fence to Forset's Fields with his lunchbag thrown haphazardly over his shoulder, ten year old Damon Salvatore bit his lip in concentration, his eyes trained on the girl sitting underneath_ his _apple tree. After dislodging his belt buckle loop of his trousers from a chipped piece of wood, He took off in a blur, his lunchbag knocking painfully into his lower back, but he didn't care; he just wanted to know who the girl was. As he approached, Damon slowed into a soft trot, trying to catch his breath as he prepared to bombard the stranger with questions.

Upon hearing the leaves crunch underneath his black shoes, the young girl looked up, her soft doe eyes meeting blue fire. She clutched tighter at the balloons she held as if she were protecting them, and with her other hand, wiped away at the tears that were making tracks down her red cheeks. Damon came to an abrupt halt at the sight and fiddled with the strap of his lunchbag, careful not to make eye contact again. She was already upset, and he didn't want to be another contriubuting factor to her tears. The young girl sniffled and stood up, the pretty black dress she wore flowing around her knee's as she did so. Damon, unintentionally, met her eyes again. Disdainfully, he noticed that her tears did not stop, and without even realising it, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his lucky hanky. The young girl took it, her smile conveying her appreciation, and she dabbed softly at her eyes.

"My name's Damon." He introduced himself after he was sure she had finished. He watched as she pulled at the hem of her dress, keeping the balloons close to her chest. At first, he wasn't sure she was going to reply, but her small voice finally claimed her name and filled the void of silence.

"My name's Elena." She said, almost incoherently.

Damon smiled, a smile that he didn't yet know would be the death of most women, and tugged at his lunchbag. "Why were you crying?" Damon had never been subtle. When he wanted to know something, he just went for it. Most people said it was part of his charm, but this Elena girl did not seem to think so.

"It's private." She sniffled, disbelieving.

Damon shrugged, also something he didn't yet know would become a part of his image, but persisted nontheless. "I won't tell anyone." He vowed. "I promise. Scouts honour."

The Elena girl cocked her head to the side as she studied him. "You're a boy scout?"

"No. But I've heard people say it in movies. Thought I'd give it a try." This earned a smile, and Damon grinned back. The Elena girl coughed to clear her throat.

"These balloons," she started, holding them up towards the sky. "They're for my mother. We buried her today, in Mystic Falls cemetery."

Damon's eyebrows furrowed together as she explained. His parents had grown up in Mystic Falls, but now, they lived just on the outskirts of the little town. That explained why he had never seen this pretty little girl before. "I'm sorry," he murmured softly. Two years ago, he had lost his little sister Milana, shortly after his mother had given birth to her. He knew what it felt like to grieve a lost one.

"We were supposed to let them go." She continued, fiddling with the strings. "But if I do, it means that I'm really saying goodbye to her. Letting her go."

Damon dropped his lunchbag on the grass and stepped closer. Elena, remembering that this boy was a stranger, stepped back. "Don't worry," Damon smiled reassuringly. "Would you like a biscuit?" Reaching down for his lunchbag, he pulled out the plastic bag that held the coconut rings and held them out. "I don't really like them, but you might."

Cautiously, Elena reached out for the biscuits and Damon smiled encouragingly. "Maybe you'll feel better after you've eaten something." he suggested, tucking into his ham sandwich. "I have some juice too, if you'd like some that is."

Elena returned the smile that never disappeared from Damon's handsome little face. "Thank you,"

Setting the flask of orange down in between them both, Damon nodded in acknowledgement and they both ate and drank well until the sun had gone down. Elena watched the boy across from her curiously, wondering why he was being so nice to her but gladly accepting the flask from him when he caught her staring. Letting the cool orange liquid slide down her throat, Elena sighed softly. Her throat was raw from sobbing and the juice took away the tenderness of swallowing.

"How old are you, Elena?" Damon queried, taking a bite from his second sandwich.

Elena picked up another biscuit. "Im nine." She declared. "Almost ten."

"Im ten already." Damon said. "My birthday is in september."

"I'm one of the youngest in my class. My birthday's in July."

Damon finished both of the sandwiches his mother had packed for him, and moved onto the chocolate treat stashed away in one of the compartments. He offered Elena half of the oozy caramel bar, but she waved him away, content with the cocunut rings he had already been kind enough to give her.

A cool breeze picked up as the sun set across the hill and Damon quickly packed away; the realisastion of how late it was sinking in. Elena apologised profusely for having eaten every biscuit in the packet and Damon deftly assured her that he didn't like them anyway, before insisting that they should both get home.

"I bet that someone'll be looking for you. They're probably all worried sick." He held out an inviting hand to help her up, and she took it, quicker than he thought she would. He pulled on her arm and she was on her feet. The balloons she held slipped from her grip as she batted out the creases created on her dress, but Damon was quicker than the wind and he felt the string wrap around his hand.

Elena let out a grateful sigh when he turned around the face her, sheepish smile on his face. She reached out carefully, taking the balloons from him. "Thank you, Damon." she breathed. "For the biscuits, and everything. I guess I'll see you another time." She waved a small hand and turned her back to him, feet crunching the leaves under their soles.

Damon nodded silently, wishing to whoever was up there that he would one day, and as she turned to walk away, he watched her. Before he even thought the words, they were out of his mouth. "Elena girl!" he shouted after her. "Wait!"

Elena whipped her head around, soft curls that had untangled from her bun framing her face in a messy heap. Her doe eyes stared at him in confusion, but she came to a halt as he had demanded. "Yes, Damon?"

"Aren't you ever going to let those go?" he motioned to the balloons, watching as her face fell even more.

"I don't want to let my mother go." she retorted carefully.

"It doesn't change anything." Damon said, wishing that she wouldn't take it the wrong way. "I mean, your mom is still gone." he eased gently. "She's at peace now,"

Elena looked back and forth between the balloons and the boy before her. She stared up at the sky, eyes starting to flood with salty tears. Visions of her mother played like a slideshow inside her head, remembering the memories that she thought would be too painful to remember, but instead of biting her lip to keep from crying, she smiled. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks once again.

"She'd love the balloons." Damon smiled. "What was her favourite colour?"

Remembering the get well cards she had hand made back when her mother was in hospital, Elena met Damon's eyes with a steady gaze. "Red." she said softly. "Her favourite colour was red."

Inspecting the four balloons tied to one string, Damon quickly spotted the red one. He helped untangle it from the bunch and held it seperate from the rest. "Do you want to say something?" he asked.

Elena shook her head, "No. She know's everything already." Trying to be brave, she forced a smile that Damon had no qualms about returning. "I love you mama." she said to the darkening sky. With the last word, Elena let go of the balloons she was holding and the wind took them into the night. Damon heard her sigh sadly as she took the last, bright red one from him and he stepped back to watch it fade into the distance. "Sleep well, Angel." she smiled sadly, and then the red balloon joined its friends in the sky.

Damon returned home five hours after he had met Elena, much to the disappointment of his mother. He was saddened by what he had just witnessed, but felt blessed to have met such an extrodinary girl; the scold he had received definitely worth it. Even his younger brother Stefan had been worried, creating different imaginative scenarios of how his older sibling could have been kidnapped or mauled to death by squirrels; Scaring himself silly in the process.

As he brushed up and got ready for bed, he noticed his younger brother loitering at the doorway of his room. Climbing atop the covers, he motioned the small green eyed boy inside, patting the covers beside him. Stefan stepped cautiously into the room and slowly went to sit beside Damon.

"What's wrong little brother?" Damon asked.

Stefan sighed unhappily. "You said you'd take me fishing," he said, grumbling.

Something snagged in Damons head as he remembered the promise he made the younger boy and he swiftly slapped his forehead with his palm. Stefan didn't didn't give him a chance to apologise.

"I was really excited. Mom made sandwiches and I even dug up worms from the garden, but you never came home."

Damon played with the quilts cotton threads as he thought up a suitable compromise. "I tell you what," He began. "We'll go out tomorrow, somewhere even better."

"Where?" Stefan retorted, skeptisism in his dazzling green eyes.

"Mystic Falls." It was perfect, Damon thought; A kill two birds with one stone scenario. Stefan would get to go fishing, and he would have the possibility of seeing the Elena girl again.

He hoped.

* * *

**So this is chapter one, just to set the initial feel of the story. Damon and Elena have a few more meetings to come, until everything is completely permanent. So, I hope you stick around to read it. **

**All that's left to do now is review, and if you do, I'll love you forever and ever. It really does make my day!**

**beautifullytaintedox.**


End file.
